Abergavenny woman shortlisted in Wales Care Awards
All category finalists have been invited to attend a glittering event at City Hall in Cardiff on Friday, October 21
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS: Helen Davies-Parsons shortlisted in Wales Care Awards
A dedicated nurse from Abergavenny who sacrificed her own family life to work around the clock at a nursing home during the pandemic has been shortlisted for a national award.
Helen Davies-Parsons won praise from her staff and colleagues after tackling the increased workload like "a runaway train", putting in long hours to ensure that residents at the Foxhunters Care Community in Abergavenny remained comfortable, despite Covid.
As a result, she is on track to be honoured at the Wales Care Awards – dubbed the social care Oscars - in the Outstanding Service category, which is sponsored by the Caron Group with Ontex UK as the event's main sponsor.
All category finalists have been invited to attend a glittering event at City Hall in Cardiff on Friday, October 21.
The host for the evening will be the popular tenor and BBC Radio Wales presenter, Wynne Evans, who also famously plays the opera singer Gio Compario in the Go Compare TV adverts and the ceremony will be live-streamed on the night.
Having trained as a nurse in the 1980s, Helen worked in various senior roles in the independent care sector, before forming Dormy Care Communities in 2015. The aim was to create a next generation of care homes with the emphasis on highly trained staff and a positive environment.
But like all care home operators during the pandemic, Helen faced new challenges with the arrival of a deadly virus.
Helen said "It was a difficult time for everyone, but we got through it as a team. We worked together and got on with it,"
"In lockdown it was almost like staff and residents became one big family, We made it bearable by organising our own entertainment, concerts and karaoke nights, sharing pizza and cake to lift our spirits."
Paying tribute to Helen, a colleague and fellow nurse manager said "I proudly work for Dormy Care Communities, a small care company with a huge heart. And that heart is Helen Davies-Parsons.
"When Covid 19 landed on our shores Helen was ahead of the game ensuring we had pandemic plans and risk assessments in place and personally bought as much PPE as she could to ensure we had the tools to fight this infection.
"She made sure her staff were supported and that good communication was maintained throughout."